Within the Linn Mansion, an exquisite chamber bathed in soft green light radiated a soothing, almost unnatural calm. Jade colored curtains fluttered gently, and runes carved into the walls pulsed faintly with cooling energy meant to stabilize the body and mind.
Yet this tranquil aura was violently opposed by the agonized cries spilling from the room. Pain cut through the stillness.
Midwives and nurses rushed in and out their footsteps hurried, their faces pale with urgency. Each one of them was busy with one thing or the other. Some were fetching water, some replacing blood-soaked cloths.
Outside the door, tension grew heavier with every passing second. An elegant man stood in the hallway, pacing. His presence alone bent the atmosphere. Each step he took released a pressure that compelled anyone nearby to lower their gaze. His dark-hued robe swayed as if alive, carried by currents of wind that did not exist. Vital energy flowed around him like a storm held tightly under control.
This is Drake Linn, master of the Linn household. The youngest and most talented clan leader of the Linn Mansion. Right now all he looked like was his fearsome presence.
His expression betrayed deep anxiety. His fists clenched and unclenched, and his eyes never left the door.
An elderly woman stepped out, holding a basin of bloodied water. Drake moved in front of her in an instant. "How is she?" he demanded. "Is the child still not out?"
"My Lord," she bowed deeply, her voice trembling, "all hands are working to relieve the milady. The birth is really difficult. This is the first time seeing such."
Drake said nothing. His gaze was enough to dismiss her, and she hurried away.
A few hours later, a piercing infant's cry rang through the mansion. It was followed by a weak, breathless whimper. Drake did not hesitate. He pushed open the doors and rushed inside.
On the bed lay an otherworldly woman drenched in sweat, her silver hair clinging to her face. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, as if she was etched from the moonlight.
Although she looked like the slightest touch might shatter her. Yet her eyes burned with fierce life. "Drake," she whispered, a faint smile touching her lips. "Won't you look at him?"
Drake moved slowly, as though afraid he might wake from a dream. In her arms lay a tiny child, wrapped in glowing cloth, his cries now soft and fragile. "Won't you hold him?" she asked.
Drake hurried forward and carefully took the baby. His hands, which had won bloody battle and slain powerful beings, trembled as they cradled the newborn."He's… beautiful," Drake murmured in awe.
"Freya… thank you." She smiled weakly. "You should give him a name." Drake thought for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Kael… Kael Linn."
"Kael Linn…" she repeated. "It's a good name." Her voice weakened. "I wish I could watch him grow, but…"
Drake's expression darkened. "What's happening? Are they here again?". She nodded. "They need me for an urgent quest. I can't refuse this time, my family is the consequences."
Drake helped her to her feet. She was clearly exhausted but her will alone kept her standing.
They stepped outside together. "Please protect him," Freya said quietly. "No matter how dangerous it becomes in the future, promise me you won't forget me." She stared at him and touched his face.
"How could I ever forget you?" Drake replied. "Go. I'll keep him safe."
The air shimmered as a man and four maidens descended from the sky and landed before them, bowing deeply. "Greetings, Saintess," they said in unison.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" Freya asked.
The man stepped forward and held out a jade box. "Saintess, you must reconsider. Once this is given to the child, there is an eighty percent chance he will not survive the power sealed inside."
"I know," Freya said calmly. "That is why I asked for the other thing."
She bit her finger and let blood drip onto the jade box. It absorbed her blood and glowed softly.
"I brought everything you asked for," the man said. "But the elders will not forgive you for this." She laughed faintly. "If they want to but I wouldn't be a saintess anymore."
The group bowed in fear. "Please don't desert us!". Although it might seems simple for her not to be a saintess any longer but they knew the outcome of her decision.
Every master has his scapegoats, and they will be her scapegoats if she chooses to leave."Everyone has a path to walk," she replied. "Even if it leads to death."
She turned to Drake and placed the jade box into his hands.
"Protect him. He is the only one who can solve this crisis, I'm going to handle. Give it to him when he is ready."
"What crisis?" Drake asked. "What's happening?"
"You don't need to know for now, maybe in the future." she said softly. "Just keep him safe."
Light wrapped around her and the others as they ascended into the sky. "No matter what," Drake vowed, "I will protect him with my life. We will also be waiting for you."
As Freya vanished, Drake looked down at Kael and the jade box in deep thoughts.
From the shadows, a woman stepped forward and bowed. "Master, what about the others?"
Drake's eyes hardened. "Finish them. No one must know what happened here."
That night, the innocent midwives and maid death was recorded. The Linn Mansion drown in bloody silence.